by VDC staff
A permanent substitute teacher at Barre Town Middle & Elementary School was cited Wednesday after police said she was found in possession of cocaine on school grounds.
According to a release from the Barre Town Police Department, officers and Barre Town Ambulance responded to the school around 10:49 a.m. on Oct. 1 for a report of an adult female under the influence of drugs.
The woman was identified as Melissa Martin, 47, a permanent substitute teacher employed by the Barre Unified Union School District. Police said the incident came to light after a student noticed Martin behaving unusually and reported it to staff.
School administrators removed Martin from her classroom and, during a subsequent conversation, she admitted she had cocaine in her jacket pocket, which was still inside the classroom.
Barre Town Police brought in K9 Lakota, who alerted to narcotics in both a jacket and a backpack belonging to Martin. A search of the jacket revealed a white substance that tested presumptively positive for cocaine, police said.
Martin was cited for possession of cocaine and reckless endangerment. The classroom was unoccupied when officers entered.
Police directed all questions regarding Martin’s employment status to the Barre Unified Union School District. Barre school officials emailed parents a message (at right) saying that the halls had to be cleared for police and emergency personnel and that the “incident only involved an adult.” No mention was made that the adult was a teacher.
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Please take down the picture that is accompanying this article. The picture is the sign at Barre City Elementary and Middle School. The incident occurred at Barre Town Middle and Elementary School. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
The prevention of and antidote for these addictions are outlined in the Bible for those who read and believe in the word of God. Too many educators today have grown up atheists and agnostics and have now been crawling into and infesting our children’s learning institutions. Our nation has strayed from the Judao-Christian principles and values our forefathers placed into the founding documents meant to assure a solid moral path and healthy guideline for future generations. When God was taken out of our schools, a soulless media influence, and an overall evil satanic spirit has swept through our once honored and stable institutions.
WPTZ/CNN gave a more detailed description of the incident which reveals how directly a child and parent were affected by the incident:
https://www.mynbc5.com/article/vermont-substitute-teacher-cocaine-possession/68227852
“Brittany, a concerned mother, recounted her son’s disturbing experience: “He looked visibly shaken and upset and I asked what had happened today and he said that his substitute teacher was clearly on drugs and was acting crazy — those were his exact words.”
The situation escalated when Martin, reportedly under the influence, ran out of the classroom, prompting Brittany’s son to follow her. The student was bewildered when Martin addressed him as “Teddy,” later realizing it was her dog’s name. The incident led the school to call 911, and police discovered cocaine on Martin’s jacket and backpack. “We have cited her for possession of cocaine and reckless endangerment based on the fact that she was under the influence while she was in control of the students in her classroom,” said Chief William Doge of Barre Town Police.
“Superintendent Joan Canning assured parents that Martin was no longer at the school and emphasized student safety: “The person is not at school now. I do have some personnel steps I need to take. The parents should feel totally confident that their students are safe.”
“ However, Brittany remains concerned, questioning the district’s vetting process: “Where was the vetting? Why is there not drug testing? Why are we not following up and making sure that these are adults who around our children are safe because the utmost priority should be our children’s safety.”
We should be asking the same questions…